I haven't gotten my butt in the water yet so I signed up for a 3 day (6 hours each day) 0 to hero for $895. I can foil on the snow OK but have yet to get on the water. Will this be worth it or should I just learn by trial and error out a Waconia and spent my money on new equipment?
I chose this place because I will be visiting my sister in Richmond, VA and it's about a 3 hour drive from there.
http://www.realkiteboarding.com Equipment is included.
Any feedback on this school or cost is appreciated.
Kiting Camp at REAL kiteboarding in Cape Hatteras, NC
Moderator: MK
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WildBill
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2002 11:21 am
- Location: Spring Lake on the south end of Prior Lake
Kiting Camp at REAL kiteboarding in Cape Hatteras, NC
ENJOY 
........... Bill
........... BillGo for it! That sounds like a great deal. 18 hrs plus equipment in one of the best places on earth to kite for lest than one large?
No brainer if you are already in the area. I've never heard anything bad about those guys except they lost one of the great buds recently in a Skakteboard vs Car accident. That was bad. That sucked.
http://www.realkiteboarding.com/index.i ... tem&id=468
They also are into kitesnowboarding so they (guys like Trip and others) will be able to relate to your skill level. You've already learned some very important stuff on the snow so they might be able to tailor instruction and get you upwind faster.
Another thing I dig about Real is that the are into strapless riding! I've had a few sessions on my surfboard and I fully endorse it. Less kite, less wind, more FUN. You can learn easy how to jibe on a longboard or mountain board in a school parking lot. It totally relates to doing it on the water.
http://www.downhaul.com/kites/010602/
http://www.realkiteboarding.com/index.i ... ategory=98
I wish I was going there.
Eric
No brainer if you are already in the area. I've never heard anything bad about those guys except they lost one of the great buds recently in a Skakteboard vs Car accident. That was bad. That sucked.
http://www.realkiteboarding.com/index.i ... tem&id=468
They also are into kitesnowboarding so they (guys like Trip and others) will be able to relate to your skill level. You've already learned some very important stuff on the snow so they might be able to tailor instruction and get you upwind faster.
Another thing I dig about Real is that the are into strapless riding! I've had a few sessions on my surfboard and I fully endorse it. Less kite, less wind, more FUN. You can learn easy how to jibe on a longboard or mountain board in a school parking lot. It totally relates to doing it on the water.
http://www.downhaul.com/kites/010602/
http://www.realkiteboarding.com/index.i ... ategory=98
I wish I was going there.
Eric
Keep an eye on the weather out there if you are headed out in the next few days. Alex is just off shore but is predicted to move out.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/forecasts/ ... y=Hatteras
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/forecasts/ ... y=Hatteras
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WildBill
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2002 11:21 am
- Location: Spring Lake on the south end of Prior Lake
Thanks for the info Eric. I seen that hurricane in the news this morning. My clinic is Aug. 17-19th. Looks like I might have missed some airfare specials although they might not apply since I'm within 21 days. Still got $388 to Richmond. I should be able to fill you guys in from my sisters right after. I hope my tennis elbow doesn't get too bad out there. Seems it never got fully healed since it started this past winter but I don't rest it much either.
Fly on!
Fly on!
ENJOY ........... Bill
........... Bill-
Erik Stone
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2004 6:46 pm
- Location: You never know. I certainly don't.
- Contact:
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WildBill
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2002 11:21 am
- Location: Spring Lake on the south end of Prior Lake
The 0 to hero camp was a success for me. My prior foil snowkiting experience made it very easy for me to pick up inflatable water riding. The wind started out on the light side. I’m guessing that the recent hurricane in Florida ripped away their wind 
One could tell that this was a place of good wind as it was never completely calm and had a 8-10 MPH minimum wind. For those who don’t know they have the benefit of the Palmico Sound (between North Carolina and the Ocean) to provide a relatively wave less teaching ground with wind as well as 70 miles of road accessible coastline to do downwinders. Our first day they broke us up into two groups; mine being a group of five. We were with two instructors and went to the windier ocean side to get the basic lo-down and fly a foil and inflatable both 2 and 4 line. The instructors are younger (I’m 39) as is the sport but they were properly trained by PASA. Right off the bat I learned that I was “driving my truck” instead of keeping the bar parallel to the ground and just pulling/pushing the bar toward/away from me. So I had a few bad habits to consciously focus on getting rid of. The first two days of camp I mainly learned little and technical things as my kiting experience put me beyond the other participants. Generally the wind was lighter in the morning and picked up for the afternoon so we learned kite repair, wake board/skating when the wind was down. Our second day the wind didn’t come up until about 4pm. The instructors were nice enough to hang around and take us out then as the class was only scheduled for 10am-4pm. I really appreciated them catering to us in this fashion and I got in my first water riding at that time. It didn’t take me long to get up and go both ways so we let the other guy (John) take the extra time to practice getting going. The last day I got basically an all day private lesson as they broke me away from the group since I advanced beyond them. That was a fun great day that made me pretty sore. My original goal was to be able to go up wind so we started focusing on that and I learned/practiced a couple of different techniques to do so. Then I got to try out some toe side riding. One thing I found interesting was that me and John are both goofy (right foot forward) snowboard riders but we both found it slightly easier to go left when kite boarding.
I brought my own equipment except for a board (which I bought a used off their website/store down there) but I chose to use their newer and varied equipment. Two great things they do is vary the instructors and equipment. Thus one gets different perspectives and to try different equipment. They make it a point to do so. I thus found varying opinions on various different techniques like how to get a stalling kite parked at 12 O’Clock backed to parked. This was great as now I now multiple techniques for various maneuvers. They had Best (cheapest), a few liquid force and Slingshot kites(most expensive in the industry). They used to have Wipika (mid $$) but Wipika supposedly had some distribution problems. They do have some great deals on used Wipika’s on their website. I’m definitely going to stick with Wipika or better. We were actually lucky enough to have a accountant from Slingshot in our group so we got some inside scoop on the business including the difficulty of making sure cheap Chinese manufactures aren’t substituting cheaper materials into the kites. I guess there was some industry wide problem with the air filler nipples having small pin hole leaks because of this. There were many instructors and riders around so one could sit and chat about kiting all day long and learn lots of different opinions, techniques and such.
At REAL they don’t promote kiting with a board leash as eventually the board will be shot back at you and hurt you in one way or another, helmet or not. To get a upwind board they make you practice using your body as a rudder while flying your kite low and to the edge of the window to get you slightly upwind to staying even. All the while your upwind board is floating back downwind toward you. They used waverunners in the class which helped out immensely. Generally there are two students per instructor. I started off with 2-3 students per instructor and finished off privately with one. My front hip flexor muscles got really sore which I thought was from riding the waverunner loaded with gear as that’s when I first noticed that the were sore but I’m guessing it was from the kiteboarding as they’re really sore; is that a common experience?
So did I get my $900 worth? Well I’m kinda a cheapy so my initial answer would be almost. I did learn many invaluable tips that would probably have taken me quite awhile to pick up on. Since they normally charge $100/hour for private lessons; the camp is a great deal in that sense as it would probably have cost me $1800 or more for the same amount of instruction. The instructors were all great and very patient with us newbies and readily spewed their knowledge unto us. I certainly recommend REAL kiteboarding. They also have great downwind camps and shorter lessons. Even if you don’t take a lesson it’s a great place to hang out, get the local lo-down and chat with other kiters. The school and secondary school is in Waves and the main store 30 minutes south in Buxton. I guess starting this winter they are all going to Cozmel, Mexico to start a winter school there if you happen to be going that way.
One could tell that this was a place of good wind as it was never completely calm and had a 8-10 MPH minimum wind. For those who don’t know they have the benefit of the Palmico Sound (between North Carolina and the Ocean) to provide a relatively wave less teaching ground with wind as well as 70 miles of road accessible coastline to do downwinders. Our first day they broke us up into two groups; mine being a group of five. We were with two instructors and went to the windier ocean side to get the basic lo-down and fly a foil and inflatable both 2 and 4 line. The instructors are younger (I’m 39) as is the sport but they were properly trained by PASA. Right off the bat I learned that I was “driving my truck” instead of keeping the bar parallel to the ground and just pulling/pushing the bar toward/away from me. So I had a few bad habits to consciously focus on getting rid of. The first two days of camp I mainly learned little and technical things as my kiting experience put me beyond the other participants. Generally the wind was lighter in the morning and picked up for the afternoon so we learned kite repair, wake board/skating when the wind was down. Our second day the wind didn’t come up until about 4pm. The instructors were nice enough to hang around and take us out then as the class was only scheduled for 10am-4pm. I really appreciated them catering to us in this fashion and I got in my first water riding at that time. It didn’t take me long to get up and go both ways so we let the other guy (John) take the extra time to practice getting going. The last day I got basically an all day private lesson as they broke me away from the group since I advanced beyond them. That was a fun great day that made me pretty sore. My original goal was to be able to go up wind so we started focusing on that and I learned/practiced a couple of different techniques to do so. Then I got to try out some toe side riding. One thing I found interesting was that me and John are both goofy (right foot forward) snowboard riders but we both found it slightly easier to go left when kite boarding.I brought my own equipment except for a board (which I bought a used off their website/store down there) but I chose to use their newer and varied equipment. Two great things they do is vary the instructors and equipment. Thus one gets different perspectives and to try different equipment. They make it a point to do so. I thus found varying opinions on various different techniques like how to get a stalling kite parked at 12 O’Clock backed to parked. This was great as now I now multiple techniques for various maneuvers. They had Best (cheapest), a few liquid force and Slingshot kites(most expensive in the industry). They used to have Wipika (mid $$) but Wipika supposedly had some distribution problems. They do have some great deals on used Wipika’s on their website. I’m definitely going to stick with Wipika or better. We were actually lucky enough to have a accountant from Slingshot in our group so we got some inside scoop on the business including the difficulty of making sure cheap Chinese manufactures aren’t substituting cheaper materials into the kites. I guess there was some industry wide problem with the air filler nipples having small pin hole leaks because of this. There were many instructors and riders around so one could sit and chat about kiting all day long and learn lots of different opinions, techniques and such.
At REAL they don’t promote kiting with a board leash as eventually the board will be shot back at you and hurt you in one way or another, helmet or not. To get a upwind board they make you practice using your body as a rudder while flying your kite low and to the edge of the window to get you slightly upwind to staying even. All the while your upwind board is floating back downwind toward you. They used waverunners in the class which helped out immensely. Generally there are two students per instructor. I started off with 2-3 students per instructor and finished off privately with one. My front hip flexor muscles got really sore which I thought was from riding the waverunner loaded with gear as that’s when I first noticed that the were sore but I’m guessing it was from the kiteboarding as they’re really sore; is that a common experience?
So did I get my $900 worth? Well I’m kinda a cheapy so my initial answer would be almost. I did learn many invaluable tips that would probably have taken me quite awhile to pick up on. Since they normally charge $100/hour for private lessons; the camp is a great deal in that sense as it would probably have cost me $1800 or more for the same amount of instruction. The instructors were all great and very patient with us newbies and readily spewed their knowledge unto us. I certainly recommend REAL kiteboarding. They also have great downwind camps and shorter lessons. Even if you don’t take a lesson it’s a great place to hang out, get the local lo-down and chat with other kiters. The school and secondary school is in Waves and the main store 30 minutes south in Buxton. I guess starting this winter they are all going to Cozmel, Mexico to start a winter school there if you happen to be going that way.
ENJOY ........... Bill
........... Bill